Holloway has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association and could face a touchline ban after he confronted Dean in the tunnel following the Seasiders' 2-1 loss to Blackburn in the Barclays Premier League.

"I apologise for the abusive language I used," Holloway said. "I should have gone in and calmly said 'I felt this, why did you do that,' because he is trying to do his job."

He added: "My lads need me on the side, so if I am going to be punished up in the stand where I can't help them, what good is that to me and my team? So I have got to learn."

Asked how big a disadvantage he felt a touchline ban would be, Holloway said: "It will be huge, but you are asking me to talk about something I don't know. I might be pre-empting things.

"But I'll be up front and honest with you - I shouted at the referee coming off. I used the word 'useless' because I didn't think he had a very good game, and I put a horrible one in front of it. That was out of frustration and I shouldn't have done it.

"I'm still learning and I have got to learn quickly. I should have learned last week that whatever I shout out at someone because I am frustrated isn't acceptable, not from my position.

"That is not a good example to show to anyone in that tunnel and it is not what I want to say to that referee, because he did his best. I couldn't understand it, but that is not his fault - it's my fault, so I want to get some help."

Holloway hopes the refereeing authorities can clarify for him what does and does not constitute an infringement on the pitch.

"I'd like them to explain to me why that is a foul," he said. "Then I can show my defenders, 'that is a foul and you can't do that at this level.' Then I can move on and I'll stop arguing.